The First Time
by redquasar
Summary: The first time that Kunzite falls for one of his students. Silver Millennium inspired story. One shot.


**A/N: This is inspired by the Silver Millennium rather than based on it. Enjoy!**

**Title: The First Time**

"Master Kunzite, I have cleaned up the training yard and put the weapons away."

Her voice is sweet and melodic, it calls to him in ways it shouldn't. She is his student. He has always been more than professional with his students. He has trained the best of Prince Endymion's guard and not once had he ever been interested in any of them. He prided himself on his commitment to the cause and his dedication to his Prince. Of course he'd had lovers before, of different genders. But never his students.

But..._her_.

It was an unusual idea and he hadn't completely agreed with it when the Prince had first raised it. The outer senshi had separate duties from them and separate tasks. Kunzite was not convinced that they needed the training he could give them, or that he should even give them the knowledge that he had. Whilst the Prince never doubted their loyalty to the Moon Princess, he felt they were too far away and too distant to be deemed full allies.

Nonetheless Prince Endymion had overruled him, and Kunzite had begun training the outer senshi in individualised sessions. They couldn't all come together. The solar system required constant guarding from threats.

Sailor Pluto had been the first to arrive. She was an attentive but distant student, excelling easily in every task he gave her. She gave away little of herself, and looked at Kunzite with eyes that had seen too much. Sailor Uranus had arrived next. She was not a willing student. She felt she had nothing to learn from him, and rebelled against him at every opportunity. Sailor Saturn was quiet and young but deathly powerful.

Then _she_ came.

Sailor Neptune was beautiful in every sense of the word. Her long, wavy aqua hair. Her soft features. Her large blue eyes. Her slightly smiling pink lips. As a princess she was sweet, gracious and laughed delicately. As a Sailor Senshi she was single minded, tough and fought ruthlessly.

Kunzite found the combination of her strengths intoxicating.

"Master Kunzite?"

Kunzite reproaches himself for being distracted. Neptune is looking at him, her eyebrow raised slightly. She is waiting to be dismissed.

"Neptune. You may go."

"Thank you Master." She bows to him, and then turns to leave.

"Wait."

"Yes, Master?"

"Would you –would you like to stay for tea?"

"If you wish, Master."

He curses himself for even asking, but he wants this. He wants to know her.

"No. Neptune, if _you_ wish."

Her eyebrows lift a little and she giggles, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh?"

"If you wish Neptune." He repeats, feeling a little flustered.

"Oh, I do wish, Master Kunzite. I would love to have tea with you."

He smiles slightly as he walks her to his quarters.

That tea is the beginning of their love affair. He falls heedlessly and dangerously in love with the Princess of Neptune. They train together and he tries desperately hard to keep the training sessions professional. And they are, for the most part. Until it nears the end, and Neptune will lean over and run her hands up his broad shoulders, resting on his neck, and pull him down for a kiss.

For the months that she is in training on earth, he spends every free moment he can with her. It is a secret; he does not want his reputation destroyed by rumours of him sleeping with his students. Even if it isn't quite a false rumour. Even though it is only the one student.

When her training season ends, he has to let her go. Neptune is just as devoted to the cause as he is. He cannot ask her to stay. And she knows he is fully devoted to his Prince. He cannot go. She never asks.

They part after a night that he will never forget. Neptune kisses him deeply, one last time, and then leaves, her aqua hair flowing behind her.

He goes back into his room, and smashes his fist against the wall. Frustrated. Angry. Missing her. Cursing that he ever fell in love. But then he composes himself, and leaves, and no one that evening, or the evenings after, would ever suspect the angst inside him.

The next time Kunzite sees her, it is years later.

It is at the engagement party of Prince Endymion and the Moon Princess. Everyone is dressed in their very best. Even then, she shines. Her aqua hair is even longer, and curls loosely down her back. She wears the official colour of Neptune, teal, in the form of a long, elegant dress which leaves her shoulders bare. She has grown and matured, and has become, if anything, more beautiful. She is accompanied by a tall, handsome man that Kunzite has never met.

Their eyes meet across the crowd, and everything seems to stop for a moment. Then Neptune smiles slightly, her eyes fall momentarily on his partner, and her smile widens. In that one moment, she conveys her delight in his choice and he can't help but respond by smiling too.

Then Neptune's partner, who had his arm wrapped loosely around her waist, looks up, somehow notices Kunzite's smile, and glares at him, pulling Neptune closer to him. In that moment, Kunzite realises he does know him-_her_.

Neptune places a hand on her shoulder and gazes at Uranus with pure adoration. Uranus looks back down at Neptune with a soft, loving smile, and they share a quick kiss before walking away to greet the other Senshi.

Kunzite smiles momentarily to himself, before his own partner places a hand on his arm, and asks, in a somewhat displeased tone, "Who is that woman?"

Kunzite's smile broadens. "No one you need to worry yourself about."

"Hmph. I don't like you looking at women like that. You should only ever look at me."

Kunzite leans down and places his hand on Zoisite's chin, tilting it upwards so that they are looking directly into each other's eyes, so he can see the love in his eyes. The love he now only has for him.

It was only the second time he had broken his rule about falling for a student.

Only this time it was forever.


End file.
